Louver assembly



DFA. H'ARTMAN T AL March 31, 1970 LOUVER ASSEMBLY Filed June 1'7, 1968 INVENTORS 0/11 10 ,4. HARTMA/V B E/PALD M. GANGER ATTORNEY United States Patent O ice 3,503,321 LOUVER ASSEMBLY David A. Hartman and Gerald M. Gan'ger, Elkhart, Ind.,

assignors to Industrial Plastics Corporation, Elkhart,

Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed June 17, 1968, Ser. No. 737,547 Int. Cl. F24f 13/14 US. Cl. 98-110 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A louver assembly including a frame and a plurality of tiltable parallel louvers journaled at their ends in said frame. Each louver has an aperture adjacent a longitudinal edge thereof and separated from said longitudinal edge by a web. An actuator rod for simultaneously tilted and positioning said louvers has a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures and is pivotally connected with each louver at its aperture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a louver or shutter assembly which may be constructed from extruded plastic components and which includes a supporting frame, pivoted louvers and an actuator rod. A plurality of similar tiltable parallel louvers are journaled at their ends in spaced parts of said frame. An actuator rod for shiftably coupling the louvers together has a plurality of openings along the length thereof. Each louver has an opening therein. Parts of said rod and of each louver, adjacent the openings, interfit at said openings for pivot connection of the rod and louvers. A slot is provided in one part of each pivot connection to accommodate assembl and disassembly of louvers and actuator rod without the use of separate connector members.

The louver assembly of this invention is so constructed that its component parts may be of a minimum number and be formed of extruded plastic material, and can interfit to connect them without using mechanical securing means, thereby reducing the unit cost of the assembly.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a louver assembly having a minimum of component parts.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a louver assembly which can be constructed of extruded plastic parts which interfit to connect them.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a louver assembly of economical and simple construction.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon a reading of the inventions description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the louver assembly of this invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded view of a complementary louver and actuating rod of the construction shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary exploded view of a complementary louver and actuator rod of modified construction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The preferred embodiments illustrated are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. They are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and their application and practical use to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention.

One louver assembly embodiment is illustrated in 3,503,321 Patented Mar. 31, 1970 FIGS. l-3 and includes a rigid support frame 10 comprising spaced parallel horizontal frame members 12 and spaced parallel vertical frame members 14. Frame members 12 and 14 are preferably formed of extruded tubular plastic members joined by solvent bonding or an adhesive, and may be of the construction disclosed in the copending application of David A. Hartman for Tubular Frame Structure, Ser. No. 737,154, filed June 14, 1968. The inner walls 16 of frame members 14 have similar longitudinal linear series of equally spaced apertures.

A plurality of louvers or slats 18 are pivotally mounted in the frame 10. Each louver 18 constitutes a thin elongated member preferably formed from an extruded plastic material and having a length slightly less than the spacing between frame members 14 and a pair of aligned longitudinally protruding pins 20 which project from the centers of the opposite ends of the louver member. Pins 20 of louvers 18 may be integral therewith or may consist of metal rods secured within and projecting from the ends of the louvers. The spacing between opposite tips of aligned pins 20 of each louver is greater than the spacing between frame members 14. Louvers 18 are each supported in frame support 10 by the pivotal fit of the pins 20 thereof in aligned apertures in the inner walls 16 of frame members 14. The width of each louver or slat 18 is such that the longitudinal margins of adjacent louvers overlap in the closed position of the louvers. Each louver 18 has an aperture 24 positioned midlength and adjacent one side edge thereof, and separated from said edge by a web 42.

An actuating rod 26 couples the louvers 18 together. Rod 26 preferably includes a tubular part 28 which is preferably formed of extruded plastic material. A series of equally spaced, longitudinally aligned ribs or flanges 30 protrude from one face of tubular part 28. Flanges 30 may be cut from a single longitudinal projecting flange formed integrally with part 28 during extrusion. Each flange 30 has an aperture 34 formed therein. The spacing between apertures 34 is the same as the spacing between louver journaling apertures in walls 6 of frame mem bers 14. Each flange aperture 34 is preferably circular and substantially concentric with curved edges 40 of the flange. A V-shaped slot 38 formed in each flange 30 communicates with aperture 34. The minimum spacing between side edges 39 defining slot 38 is less than the thickness of louver 18. This construction of each flange is thus characterized by a pair of complementary spaced hook parts 41 at its free end. The width of each hook part 41 is preferably at least equal to the diameter of the louver apertures 24, and the diameter of each flange aperture 34 is preferably approximately equal to the Width of louver web 42.

To couple actuator rod 26 to louvers 18 mounted in a frame, the louvers are positioned with each louver web 42 located within a V-slot 38 of an actuator flange. The actuator is then pressed against the edges of the louvers to cause the hook parts 41 to separate to permit webs 42 to pass between them and seat in flange apertures 34. The circular edges 36 and 40 of each flange 30 preferably frictionally engage diametrical edge portions of apertures 24. This arrangement permits the louvers to be simultaneously adjusted from one angular position to another in frame 10 by the vertical shifting of the actuator rod 26, and frictionally holds the louvers in any selected angu lar adjustment. As an alternative, louver web 42 may be sized so that its opposite edges frictionally engage diametrically opposed portions of flange aperture 34 while the louver aperture 24 is large enough to receive flange hooks 41 with clearance at edges 40 thereof.

Another embodiment of the louver assembly is shown in FIG. 4. In this construction each louver 18' has an aperture 50 formed midlength thereof adjacent to a longitudinal side edge 54. Each aperture 50 is preferably rectangular and communicates with a V-shaped slot to define opposed V-shaped projections 53 which form a restricted mouth 52 into aperture 50.

Actuator rod 26' includes a longitudinal rib or flange 56 projecting from side face 32. Flange 56 has a series of longitudinally spaced apertures 58 which are spaced apart the same distance as the louver journaling apertures in walls 16 of frame members 14. The part of the flange between each aperture 58 and the side edge 55 of flange 56 defines a web 57. The thickness of flange 56 is greater than the minimum spacing between opposed projections 53 of the louvers. The maximum spacing between opposed projections 53 is slightly greater than the thickness of flange 56. The dimension of each louver aperture 50 transverse of the louver is preferably greater than the width of web 57 of flange 56, and the spacing between the louver edge 54 and louver aperture 50 is preferably greater than the diameter of aperture 58 of flange 56. To couple rod 26 to louvers 18', the flange webs 57 of said rod are positioned in the mouths 52 of louver openings 50 and the rod is pressed toward the louvers to force the web 57 between and past the louver projections 53 and into apertures 50 of the louvers. The louver projections 53 and the defining parts of flange apertures 58 frictionally engage when so interlocked, and accommodate simultaneous adjustment of louver position as previously described.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the details herein given but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a louver assembly comprising a frame support, a plurality of tiltable parallel spaced louvers journaled at their ends in said support, an actuator rod positioned along one side of said louvers and pivoted thereto, the improvement comprising flange means on said rod having a plurality of apertures longitudinally spaced in correspondence to the spacing between louver journals, each louver having an aperture spaced from a longitudinal edge thereof and separated from said edge by a web part, one of said flange means and louver having a slot communicating with each aperture therein and of a width less than the thickness of the other of said flange means and louver, each louver web part fitting within a rod aperture and each louver aperture receiving a portion of said flange means in interlocking engagement.

2. The louver assembly of claim 1, wherein said flange means includes a plurality of coplanar spaced flanges, each flange having a central aperture, an outer arcuate edge concentric with said central aperture and a V-shaped slot communicating with said central aperture to define complementary hook parts which fit in the aperture of a louver.

3. A louver assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of each interconnecting aperture-d flange means and louver has a portion frictionally received within the aperture of the other whereby said louvers are maintained in selected adjustment relative to said support frame upon shifting of said actuator rod.

4. The louver assembly of claim 1, wherein each louver has a V-shaped slot therein communicating with said louver aperture to define opposed spaced projections which fit in a rod aperture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,153,075 4/1969 Copeland 98121 2,625,874 1/1953 Kennedy 98-1l0 3,177,797 4/1965 Kennedy 98-110 MEYER PERLIN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 98-121 

